Health and Me

Rachel V Thomas

Want to Live Longer? Here's How Much Exercise You Should Do

Physical activity has long been known to reduce the risk of chronic diseases and premature death. But when it comes to living longer, which type of <span>exercise</span> matters most—strength training or <span>aerobic activity</span>?

To find out, researchers examined whether resistance training is associated with lower risks of all-cause and cause-specific mortality, how much training is needed for maximum benefit, and whether combining it with aerobic exercise offers additional advantages.

The study, led by researchers at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, followed more than 147,000 adults for up to 30 years.

The findings, published in the <em>British Journal of Sports Medicine</em>, showed that both <span>strength training</span> and aerobic exercise are linked to lower risks of death from all causes, cardiovascular disease, and certain <span>cancers</span>.

Using repeated measures of resistance training over nearly three decades, the researchers found that performing 90–119 minutes of strength training per week was associated with:

<ul><li>13% lower risk of death from all causes</li><li>19% lower risk of cardiovascular disease mortality</li><li>27% lower risk of neurological disease mortality</li></ul>

<h2>How Much Strength Training Is Enough?</h2>

Performing more than 120 minutes of strength training per week did not appear to provide additional reductions in these risks.

For cancer mortality, a reduced risk was observed only at lower levels of resistance training, ranging from 1 to 59 minutes per week.

The study also found that engaging in either adequate aerobic activity or resistance training alone was associated with lower mortality risk, although the reduction was generally greater with aerobic exercise.

The lowest mortality risk was observed among people who combined both forms of exercise at high levels or who performed very high amounts of aerobic activity (45 or more metabolic equivalent of task (MET)-hours per week).

"More is not always better. Benefits appeared to plateau beyond approximately 120 minutes per week of strength training, with little additional reduction in mortality risk. Aerobic exercise remains crucial," said Dr. Sudhir Kumar, Senior Consultant Neurologist at the Institute of Neurosciences, Apollo Hospitals, in a post on X.

"The greatest longevity benefits were seen in people who combined regular aerobic activity—such as walking, jogging, cycling, or swimming—with strength training. Those who did both had up to 45–58% lower mortality risk compared with inactive individuals," he added.

<h2>The Ideal Exercise Routine for Longevity</h2>

Based on the findings, Dr. Kumar recommended that adults aim for:

<ul><li>150–300 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise per week</li><li>90–120 minutes of strength training per week, spread across two to three sessions</li><li>Include exercises for all major muscle groups.</li></ul>

<h2>Beyond Muscles: Why Exercise Is Important?</h2>

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that adults aged 18–64 perform at least 150–300 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity, or 75–150 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity, each week.

For a long time, workouts were seen as a way to build muscle or lose weight. But a recent study showed that resistance training could reduce brain age by up to two years. This means strength workouts could help the brain maintain characteristics that are seen in younger people. 

This means that beyond physical strength, your brain could function more efficiently, particularly in areas like memory and reasoning.

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Physical activity has long been known to reduce the risk of chronic diseases and premature death. But when it comes to living longer, which type of exercise matters most—strength training or aerobic activity?To find out, researchers examined whether resistance training is associated with lower risks of all-cause and cause-specific mortality, how much training is needed for maximum benefit, and whether combining it with aerobic exercise offers additional advantages.The study, led by researchers at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, followed more than 147,000 adults for up to 30 years.The findings, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, showed that both strength training and aerobic exercise are linked to lower risks of death from all causes, cardiovascular disease, and certain cancers.What Did the Study Find?Using repeated measures of resistance training over nearly three decades, the researchers found that performing 90–119 minutes of strength training per week was associated with:13% lower risk of death from all causes19% lower risk of cardiovascular disease mortality27% lower risk of neurological disease mortalityHow Much Strength Training Is Enough?Performing more than 120 minutes of strength training per week did not appear to provide additional reductions in these risks.For cancer mortality, a reduced risk was observed only at lower levels of resistance training, ranging from 1 to 59 minutes per week.The study also found that engaging in either adequate aerobic activity or resistance training alone was associated with lower mortality risk, although the reduction was generally greater with aerobic exercise.The lowest mortality risk was observed among people who combined both forms of exercise at high levels or who performed very high amounts of aerobic activity (45 or more metabolic equivalent of task (MET)-hours per week)."More is not always better. Benefits appeared to plateau beyond approximately 120 minutes per week of strength training, with little additional reduction in mortality risk. Aerobic exercise remains crucial," said Dr. Sudhir Kumar, Senior Consultant Neurologist at the Institute of Neurosciences, Apollo Hospitals, in a post on X."The greatest longevity benefits were seen in people who combined regular aerobic activity—such as walking, jogging, cycling, or swimming—with strength training. Those who did both had up to 45–58% lower mortality risk compared with inactive individuals," he added.The Ideal Exercise Routine for LongevityBased on the findings, Dr. Kumar recommended that adults aim for:150–300 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise per week90–120 minutes of strength training per week, spread across two to three sessionsInclude exercises for all major muscle groups.Beyond Muscles: Why Exercise Is Important?The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that adults aged 18–64 perform at least 150–300 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity, or 75–150 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity, each week.For a long time, workouts were seen as a way to build muscle or lose weight. But a recent study showed that resistance training could reduce brain age by up to two years. This means strength workouts could help the brain maintain characteristics that are seen in younger people. This means that beyond physical strength, your brain could function more efficiently, particularly in areas like memory and reasoning.

want to live longer? here's how much exercise you should do

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